The Arbitrator
by Agarest
Summary: Set after Pain battle. Things are awkward between Naruto and Hinata, but they just need a shove in the right direction from their new Jounin. Well, at least one of them does. Has a yaoi pairing, rated M for lemons in later chapters.NaruHina, OC x ?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, first NaruHina fic with an OC! Also as a pre warning, will contain some yaoi content, so no flames containing homophobia! Anyway, on with the fic! Hope you enjoy it! Rates and Reviews would be helpful!**

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><p>A teenage, blonde ninja strolled down the streets of Konoha, humming contently with his hands behind his head. He gazed up at the clear blue sky and closed his eyes, listening to the sound of hammers hitting wood and tiles being set into place. It had been a month since Pain had destroyed the leaf village, and thanks to everyone's efforts to rebuild Konoha the village was almost back to its former glory. Even Naruto had helped in the restoration of the village, despite protests from villagers that the 'Hero of Konoha' should be taking it easy; of course, Naruto ignored the protests and helped anyway. A smile grew on his face as a cool breeze ran through his hair. Before he saved everyone from Pain, Naruto was despised by the villagers for being the Nine Tail's container, but since he used that power to defeat Pain, the villagers began to accept and even praise him! He could feel the title of Hokage getting closer already...<p>

Naruto opened his eyes and looked forward to find that he had reached his destination; the Hokage tower. Since Tsunade was still in hospital, Kakashi was given the role as the temporary Hokage, much to his disliking. He complained that there was way too much paperwork, and he never had time to bury his nose in his Icha Icha paradise book. One thing he never seemed to complain about though was having Shizune as his personal assistant. As Naruto started to enter the tower, he stopped and turned back for a second, grinning slyly as an idea formed in his head.

Naruto quietly scaled the wall of the tower and climbed onto the roof, grinning widely as he noticed that the window was open. He tip toed to the window and peeped in to see Kakashi sitting at his paperwork piled desk, head stuck in his Icha Icha paradise book.

"_I thought Shizune confiscated his books? Looks like pervy sage's training finally came in handy! Ehheheheh" _Naruto thought, grinning evilly. _"Now!"_ Naruto jumped over the window and threw a kunai at the book, hitting it out of Kakashi's hands and pinning it against the wall. Kakashi immediately stood up, eye closed as he flinched, waving his arms defensively.

"I-I'm sorry Shizune! I wasn't reading it I swear! I-" Kakashi exclaimed, his eye shooting open as he heard Naruto's uncontainable laughter. His expression dead panned as he stood straight and crossed his arms, watching the ninja as he rolled on the floor, holding his sides which were hurting from laughter. When he finally calmed down to a chuckle, Naruto wiped a tear from his eye and looked at Kakashi's unimpressed face, triggering even more laughter. However, the laughter stopped when Naruto heard a loud sigh come from across Kakashi.

"Can I have my book back?" The black haired ninja sighed, pointing at the book that was pinned to the wall. Kakashi rubbed the back of his head and chuckled sheepishly as he walked over to it and dislodged the kunai, throwing the book to him. Naruto watched as the ninja observed his now destroyed book. His black, unkempt hair reached the mid section of his chest, the back tucked inside his grey trench coat which he wore open over the traditional chuunin gear. Mounted on his back was a tachi almost as long as he was, starting at his shoulders and ending just above his ankles. After a minute of analysing the book with his ice blue eyes, he frowned and threw the book into a bin, muttering under his breath. Naruto began to feel guilty, scratching the back of his head as he started to mumble an apology.

"Hey mr, sorry about that, I thought it was Kakashi's book and-" Naruto stopped as the black haired ninja gave him a death glare, which seemed creepy since his ice blue eyes had a sort of calming quality to them.

"You owe me a new book!" He shouted, glaring at Naruto with a frustrated expression, which disappeared into a frown as he fell down into the foetal position.

"Did you call me mr? I'm only 18..." He mumbled, rocking back and forth, the air around him darkening and becoming cold.

"I-I'm sorry! I'll buy you a new book! And I'm sorry-uhh..." Naruto trailed off as he scratched his head, trying to think whether or not he knew the ninja's name. Kakashi cleared his throat, bringing Naruto out of his train of thought.

"This is Ikeda Katsutoshi, a new jounin" Kakashi informed Naruto.

"Jounin? How come I've never seen you before if you're 18?" Naruto wondered aloud, furrowing his brow.

"I graduated early from the academy and not long after I passed the chuunin exams I entered ANBU." Katsutoshi answered him, recovering from his withdrawal. He walked over to Naruto and stuck out his hand, smiling warmly.

"We'll be going on missions together for a bit Naruto, so call me Toshi for short." Naruto grinned widely and shook his hand.

"The name's Naruto! I'm looking forward to doing missions with you Toshi!" Naruto grinned cheerily, giving Toshi a thumbs up. Toshi smiled; there was something about Naruto that made him easy to get along with, that made people warm up to him easily.

"_Maybe he'd understand..."_ Toshi thought to himself. He was brought out of his thoughts when Kakashi placed a hand on each of their shoulders and gave them his trademark eye smile.

"Well I'm glad you've gotten off to such a good start. You can start the mission as soon as the third member gets here" Kakashi told them, signalling for them to sit down.

"Third member?" Naruto blinked "Who's that Kakashi?"

"Well she's the only ninja available right now, so sorry if you're not used to working with-" Kakashi started, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Ah, that should be her now! Come in Hinata!" Kakashi called. Toshi started to turn to face the door so he could see the new member, but stopped when he saw Naruto's pale expression. He began to ask him if he was okay but stopped as the door swung open, revealing the raven haired Hyuuga. She bowed and smiled at Toshi, who smiled and waved in return, but when she looked at Naruto she blushed furiously and looked at the floor. Toshi furrowed his brow and looked from Hinata to Naruto, wondering why the two ninja were being so withdrawn when it clicked. His eyes widened as he turned to look at Kakashi, pointing at Naruto and Hinata with his pinky and giving him a curious look. Kakashi's brow furrowed momentarily before his eye narrowed, looking from the blonde ninja to the raven one. After a few moments of silence, Kakashi shrugged dismissively.

"As I was saying, Hinata is the only other ninja available, so the three of you will be a team temporarily" Kakashi continued, signalling for Hinata to come over and sit down. Naruto nodded quickly, not taking his gaze from the floor, his pale expression now as blushed as Hinata's. Toshi scratched his nose awkwardly, the tension starting to get to him.

"_I'm starting to think that this was a bad idea..."_ Kakashi thought, sighing mentally.

"Right... I'm giving you a B ranked mission. You are to take this payment for sub contractors to the Kazekage. The last payment didn't manage to reach him, since the messengers were ambushed by rogue ninja. Also, there's a bonus in it for you if you can kill said ninja and retrieve the stolen payment, understood?"

Toshi nodded, and then looked to Naruto and Hinata who managed to nod to Kakashi, but after one caught a glimpse of the other they both diverted their gazes to the floor.

"Toshi will be the team leader, so make sure you follow his orders and get along, especially _you_ Naruto." Kakashi added, giving the blonde ninja a serious look. Naruto shot him an annoyed look, the blush in his cheeks fading. Glad that Naruto finally came back to his senses, Kakashi chuckled and smiled and Toshi.

"Well, good luck!" Kakashi announced, hiding his face in another Icha Icha book he seemed to get out of nowhere.

"W-Wait a minute!" Toshi shouted, standing up and pointing at Kakashi with his jaw slack. Kakashi peered over the book to look at the mumbling Toshi and started to chuckle sheepishly, but froze when he saw someone standing behind him.

"Wait a minute indeed." Shizune muttered from behind Toshi, sending a shiver down Kakashi's spine. The three turned to face Shizune, who's expression was hidden in darkness, only her eyes visible as they gleamed with intent.

"I-I-I-" Kakashi stuttered, a bead of sweat running down the side of his face as he waved his arms defensively.

"Can you three leave please? I need to talk to Kakashi alone..." Shizune commanded more than asked. The three gulped nervously and nodded frantically before getting up and practically running out of the room.

"W-Wait!" Was the last words they heard Kakashi say before they ran out of the room and closed the door. Toshi turned to the other two and scratched his nose nervously, Naruto doing the same as Hinata pressed her index fingers together.

"Well ah... My name's Toshi, nice to meet you Hinata" Toshi smiled, attempting to change the subject and brighten the mood a little. Hinata smiled and blushed slightly, bowing before replying to him.

"Nice to meet-" Hinata started, but stopped as Kakashi's screams echoed through the room. The three gulped nervously and nodded at each other, as if silently agreeing that they should leave as soon as possible. When they exited the building, Toshi turned to the two, crossing his arms to make him look authoritative.

"We'll meet up at the gate in an hour, make sure you pack enough for four days, a week maximum" He informed them, smiling as they nodded.

"Well, see you-"Toshi started, but froze as he realized something. He patted his coat frantically as if searching for something, making Hinata and Naruto furrow their brows. After frantically searching his coat and having not found what he was looking for, he turned around and chuckled sheepishly, scratching his nose.

"Looks like I have to go back for the payment, but I don't really want to go back..." He confessed, looking up at the Hokage's windows, listening to the faint shouting and screams of pain.

"_They're sound proof too..." _Toshi thought to himself, feeling sorry for Kakashi. He sighed and turned to Hinata and Naruto, who were blushing, trying not to look at each other even though they were both standing at each other's sides.

"Change of plans. Meet me at the gate in two hours..." Toshi mumbled sheepishly, walking back to the tower in a slow pace, dragging his feet with his shoulders sagged. When he disappeared from view, the two remaining ninja fiddled nervously, trying to look at each other but then looking away nervously. After a few moments of silence, Naruto was the first to speak.

"So... Uhh... I guess I'd better get my stuff ready ehheheh... See you... Hinata" Naruto murmured as he started to leave. Hinata's eyes widened and she blushed, trying to find her voice so she could tell him not to leave.

"_No! I need to ask him..." _She encouraged herself, eventually finding her voice.

"Uhh... I... Naruto!" Hinata yelled, making Naruto jump and turn to face her with a surprised expression. However, as soon as he looked at her she lost her voice again, blushed and looked at the ground. Naruto frowned and left, figuring that she wasn't going to say anything, even if he stayed there forever.

"I love you Naruto..." Hinata whispered, hoping that her words would reach the ninja's ears. Tears fell down her cheeks as she wished that she could pluck up the courage to confront him about her confession. When she left, Toshi came out of the shadows wearing a concerned frown, placing the payment in his inside coat pocket.

"_Looks like I have another objective during the mission..." _Toshi thought to himself as he made his way to his apartment, listing things in his mind that he would need for the mission.

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><p><strong>Well there we go, hope you liked it! Give me reviews so I can tell whether or not you guys liked it! Also, constructive criticism is welcome! :) <strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's the second chapter, I'll release the next one tomorrow, and then every Wednesday after that. Enjoy.**

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><p>Toshi watched the clouds in the sky float lazily along as he waited for the rest of his team on a bench by the gates of Konoha. He fiddled with his nodachi in front of him, regretting that he couldn't sit down whilst wearing it. Finding that he was becoming bored, he instinctively reached for his inside coat pocket where his Icha Icha book usually was, but grimaced when his fingers grabbed thin air.<p>

"_Naruto..." _He remembered, sighing heavily _"I hope he remembers my book"_ Just as he took his hand out of his pocket, he heard his name being called in a sweet, feminine voice. He looked in the direction to see Hinata walking over to him, smiling and holding her hair in place as it was picked up by the wind.

"_She's a good catch Naruto, you'll thank me for this..." _He thought as he stood and smiled back at Hinata, mounting his tachi on his back and waving as he walked over to her. Once they met she bowed and smiled again, making Toshi scratch his nose uneasily.

"Uhh... Hinata? Could you not bow every time we meet? It'll hurt your back..." Toshi laughed sheepishly, making Hinata blush and nod in agreement. She looked at the bench where he was sitting and frowned, looking at the ground in disappointment.

"What's wrong Hinata?" Toshi asked concernedly, placing a hand on her shoulder. She flinched at the contact, blinking at Toshi and then blushing deeply.

"I-I was just checking if N-Naruto was with you..." She mumbled, fiddling with her thumbs. Toshi smiled at her innocence, but mentally frowned as it somehow made him feel old.

"Well, he's late, we've just got to wait for him" Toshi replied smiling. He started to signal back at the bench, but stopped when he spotted someone running to them in the distance.

"Ah, here he is" Toshi chuckled, pointing at Naruto. Hinata looked in the direction he was pointing and blushed as she saw Naruto, diverting her gaze to the ground. When Naruto reached them, he was breathing heavily as he threw his backpack on the floor.

"S...Sorry I'm late! I... Had some stuff... To do" Naruto panted, trying to catch his breath. Toshi nodded, then reached out his hand and made a grabbing action, confusing Naruto. When he gave Toshi a blank look, he sighed and explained it to him.

"The book" Toshi stated, getting more annoyed as Naruto's expression became even more confused "The book you owe me? ... Icha Icha paradise...?" Naruto's eyes widened as he realised what Toshi had been asking him for, and then smilied as he opened his back pack.

"Ah yeah! It's in here! Wait a second..." Naruto mumbled as he searched through his bag, wearing a big grin as he pulled out a book. Toshi's brow furrowed at the book he was holding.

"What the...? That's not the same as the book you destroyed..." Toshi complained, taking the book from Naruto anyway. Naruto's grin got even bigger somehow when Toshi took the book and his eyes widened as he saw the cover.

"WHAAAAAATTT?" Toshi exclaimed, almost dropping the book in surprise "H-How did you get this? This isn't even out yet!" Naruto grinned and gave him a thumbs up before explaining.

"Well I knew the author of those books! He made a new one, but died before it went into circulation, so there are only a handful of copies" Naruto explained cheerfully, frowning slightly when he mentioned that the author had died. Toshi felt tears collect in his eyes as he held the book close to his chest; he wanted to hug the crap out of Naruto right now. Naruto scratched the back of his head and grinned widely, whilst Hinata managed to look up and smile at her new team leader's happiness.

"Thank you so much Naruto! Ramen on me when we get back!" Toshi thanked him, placing the book inside his coat. Naruto practically jumped for joy, making Toshi laugh, but then he noticed Hinata's sullen expression.

"Oh, and I promise to treat you both to a spa on the way there!" Toshi winked at Hinata, making her blush.

"Alright! You're the best ever Toshi!" Naruto grinned. Toshi blushed, scratching his nose in embarrassment, but then he flinched as Naruto got closer to him. Naruto blinked and furrowed his brow, reaching toward Toshi.

"What's wrong Toshi?" Naruto asked. Toshi took another step back, took off his messenger bag and started to dig for something. As Naruto started to lean forward Toshi stood up with a can in his hand and started to spray Naruto, catching him off guard and making him cough.

"W- *Cough* What is this?" Naruto wheezed, waving his arms in the air as Toshi placed the can back in his bag pack.

"You smelt Naruto. You needed it." Toshi stated, pinching his nose. Naruto gritted his teeth and clenched his fist, face growing red with anger.

"What the hell?" Naruto yelled "I smell fine!"

"_Now_ you do" Toshi countered, poking his tongue out at Naruto, and then started walking before Naruto could argue with him. Naruto followed him, yelling angrily as Hinata remained still, sniffing the air that Toshi sprayed.

"_It smells... Nice" _Hinata smiled as she imagined Naruto smelling like that all the time, blushing when she realised she had fallen behind, running to catch up with the arguing pair.

The silence was thick as the three walked through Konoha forest. Toshi was just enjoying the scenery, Naruto had finally calmed down and even smelled his clothes from time to time (He liked the smell, but he didn't want to admit it and lose his and Toshi's argument) and Hinata observed Naruto from behind, thinking about ways she could try and confront him.

"_I should try when it's just us, but what if I can't speak again like last time? No. I will confront him. I need to know how he feels"_ She thought to herself, smiling as she felt her confidence rise. When she returned her gaze to Naruto, she caught him looking back at her over his shoulder. His eyes widened and his cheeks became red as he turned back around, mumbling something under his breath. Hinata blushed and watched her feet as she walked, afraid of having eye contact with him again. Toshi watched the pair in the corner of his eye, sighing mentally.

"_Why is it so awkward between them? Surely they can tell that they like each other? Maybe they just need a little push..."_ Toshi thought, clearing his throat to gain the other ninja's attention.

"So, Naruto" He started, looking at him out of the corner of his eye, grinning slyly "Got a girlfriend?" At the mention of 'girlfriend' Naruto froze, his jaw slack and eyes wide, stuttering madly.

"G-g-g-g-girlfriend?" Naruto exclaimed, as if the word was taboo. Toshi laughed at Naruto's reaction; it was as if Toshi told him to eat vegetables.

"I'll take that as a no then... What about you Hinata? You dating anyone right now?" Toshi poked, slowing down to walk alongside a severely blushing Hinata.

"W-Well.. N-No..." She managed to answer, head feeling faint as all of the blood in her body seemed to rush to her face.

"What?" Toshi exclaimed in a fake, surprised tone "Surely, a girl with your beauty must have loads of boys queuing in a line to date you! I know I'd line up" Toshi winked.

"_Haha this should be it, now Naruto will get all defensive..."_ Toshi thought as he looked at Naruto who's jaw was clenched, his face red with anger.

"Why yo-" Naruto started as he marched toward Toshi, angry for reasons he didn't know or care about at that moment. However, his anger disappeared as he ran past Toshi, catching the fainting Hinata. Toshi furrowed his brow as he turned and saw Naruto holding Hinata, whose face was the deepest shade of red he had ever seen.

"Hinata! Wake up!" Naruto called as he supported her, then gave Toshi an aggravated look. Toshi took a step back, his expression shocked.

"D-Did I go too far...?" Toshi thought aloud, watching as Naruto mounted Hinata on his back.

"Ya think?" Naruto exclaimed, muttering angrily under his breath as he walked past a speechless Toshi.

"_Damn, I don't think I went that far..."_ Toshi thought, cursing under his breath as he started to follow Naruto "_If talking about it openly didn't work, then I'll try privately"_

Faint sounds of birdsong and the wind blowing through tree leaves rang through Hinata's ears as she slowly started to regain consciousness. She slowly started to open her eyes, absently observing the scenery as it passed her by, even though she wasn't moving. She furrowed her brow as she opened her eyes even more, her senses starting to return to normal. She could feel a smooth texture brush against her cheek, which she took a deep inhale of.

"Naruto..." She smiled as she recognised the smell instantly, nuzzling against the texture as she opened her eyes to find that it was Naruto's signature bright blonde hair. Naruto's head tilted up as he felt something rub against his head, and he looked over his shoulder to see Hinata rubbing her cheek against his hair as she smelt it. Naruto blushed deeply; she looked peaceful and... cute. Naruto shook the thoughts from his head and called for her to catch her attention.

"Hinata... Hey, Hinata" Naruto whispered, causing her to look up at him. When she looked up, her lavender eyes met his crystal blue ones, and at that moment time seemed to freeze.

"H-Hinata..." Naruto mumbled, lost in her pale lavender eyes.

"Naruto..." She mumbled back, equally lost in his crystal blue eyes. She felt something warm brush her lips, and peered down to see Naruto's lips right next to hers; she didn't notice that they were face to face. Each laboured breath he took landed on her lips, warming them and making them tingle, her breath doing the same to his. Her heart beat a mile a minute as she looked at his lips, and she glanced up to see that he was looking at hers too.

"_This is it! Just... lean... forward! Kiss him!" _Hinata yelled in her mind, trying to spur herself on, but unable to move her body.

"Ah! There it is!" Toshi shouted, dragging the two out of their heart stopping moment. They both looked back at Toshi, who was pointing at a building in the distance. Toshi caught up to them, chuckling sheepishly as he did.

"Umm... About earlier... Sorry I teased you" He apologised, scratching his nose nervously. Hinata blushed at the memory, just nodding to accept his apology. He smiled, a pang of guilt still in his expression.

"Well at least you're okay! The hot springs is over there, so I guess you woke up at a good time anyway" Toshi laughed. Hinata blinked as she remembered fainting, noticing the sun setting behind a hill in the distance. She blushed furiously as her eyes widened, jumping off of Naruto and bowing humbly to Toshi.

"I-I'm so sorry!" Hinata apologised, staying in the bowing position. Toshi sighed and folded his arms before he spoke.

"Don't bow Hinata, I told you not to... Anyway if you are going to apologise to anyone apologise to Naruto! He's the one that's been carrying you all day!" Toshi exclaimed, pointing at Naruto. Hinata blushed as she stood back up and faced Naruto, who was scratching the back of his head, blushing slightly as he diverting his gaze elsewhere.

"Yeah well, I wasn't about to let that pervert to things to you while you were unconscious so..." Naruto started, his stomach feeling light and queasy. Toshi stuttered madly, taking a step back at the accusation.

"_Did he just call me a pervert?" _Toshi thought, unable to counter Naruto's accusation due to shock. Hinata giggled at Toshi's reaction, making him ease back to his normal stance.

"N-Naruto, I don't t-think Toshi is like that..." Hinata smiled, reassuring Toshi that she didn't think he was this huge pervert that did weird things to unconscious girls. He sighed with relief before sticking his tongue out at Naruto, laughing as it wound him up. Naruto started to grit his teeth and march toward Toshi, but stopped when Hinata continued.

"Thank you Naruto" She smiled, blushing less than she usually did; and she didn't even stammer either. Toshi's eyes widened at her sudden confidence; even Naruto was visibly taken aback by her new found confidence. However, when she noticed the two looking at her with shocked expressions, she blushed and walked forward toward the spa, eventually followed by a collected Toshi and Naruto.

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><p><strong>Foot note: I called his sword a 'tachi' in the last chapter, but I think that a nodachi would be more accurate. A nodachi is a long katana, just google it, they look awesome!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's the third chapter! I'll release a chapter every Wednesday now. Reviews are welcome! Enjoy the chapter!**

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><p>"Aaaah" Toshi and Naruto sighed contently as they sank into the men's bath. They were the only people in the men's bath, but the girl's bath had more than a few occupants; all sounding as though they were keeping Hinata company. Naruto rolled his eyes as the girlish laughter reached the men's section.<p>

"_Women! Can't they keep quiet and relax for more than five minutes?" _Naruto thought to himself as he closed his eyes, winding down. Toshi watched Naruto slowly become completely relaxed.

"Hey, Naruto"

"Yeah?"Naruto whispered, totally at bliss.

"I'm surprised you carried Hinata all day, you should've let me carry her when I offered instead of exhausting yourself" Toshi lectured concernedly. Naruto opened one eye so he could look at Toshi.

"Ah it's okay, I have a load of stamina, so it was nothing" Naruto smiled, closing his eye again. After a brief spell of silence, Toshi spoke up again.

"Do you like Hinata Naruto?" Toshi asked, looking up at the sky. Naruto's eyes shot open and he gave him a mean glare, which Toshi ignored.

"What does it matter to you?" Naruto scoffed, facing the other way. Toshi sighed and turned his gaze to Naruto.

"So that's a yes then" Toshi stated, which Naruto confirmed by not reacting to his statement. Naruto sighed and looked down into the water, looking at his hands that were submerged in the water.

"I'm confused..." Naruto started, catching Toshi's attention "I've liked a different girl since I entered the academy, back when I didn't even know Hinata existed. Then when she confessed to me in the battle against Pain... It felt like my world was turned upside down" Naruto closed his eyes as if recalling the events. Toshi closed his eyes and nodded in contemplation, happy that Naruto was opening up to him.

"Well, tell me this; who were you thinking about earlier: Hinata or that other girl?" Naruto returned his gaze to Toshi, furrowing his brow at his confusing question.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked

"Well I sprayed you before we left because you smelt like you had been masturbating. Luckily I acted before Hinata noticed!" Toshi explained. Naruto's jaw dropped, his eyes as wide as the moon.

"W-What?" Naruto yelled as he jumped up, blushing furiously. Before he could yell any more Toshi pulled him down, putting his finger to his lips.

"Quiet Naruto!" He hushed, calming down the blonde ninja, who blushed and looked away. Toshi listened out to see if anyone had heard him yell, but when girlish laughter broke the silence he sighed with relief and turned his attention back to Naruto.

"I don't care that you masturbated, but if you still feel weird about it I do it too, and so do 99% of boys and even girls our age! The important thing is who you were thinking about" Toshi explained, making Naruto's blush lighten, but not disappear completely. He started to scratch the back of his head nervously and stutter before answering him properly.

"B-Both of them..." Naruto answered, diverting his gaze. Toshi hit his face with his palm and sighed.

"_And he calls me the pervert..."_ Toshi thought, not wanting to say that in case it made him lose his trust in him.

"Well..." Toshi started, stoking his chin in thought "Tell me why you would and wouldn't like either of them" Naruto thought for a second, and then grinned as he came up with an answer.

"Well Sakura's really pretty and popular" Naruto listed

"_So her name's Sakura eh?"_ Toshi thought, mentally noting it down before returning his attention back to Naruto.

"But she hits me a lot, and she loves Sasuke..." He started to drift off when he mentioned Sasuke, his expression dampening.

"Well what about Hinata?" Toshi interrupted so that the blonde wouldn't get lost in his memories. He nodded and started to scratch his cheek, blushing lightly.

"Well... Uhh... She's really cute... She told me she... loved me." Naruto started to drift off again, beginning to get lost in his memories, but before Toshi could urge him to continue he continued his list.

"She has beautiful eyes, she'd fight to the death for me... Oh, and... Uh... She has... Uhh how do I say this now..." Toshi raised an eyebrow as Naruto tried to explain his last point, scratching his head as he tried to find the right words. After a minute of thinking, Naruto sighed and raised his hands to his chest, cupping them in front of it, looking away as he did a squeezing action. Toshi's eyes shot open in realisation.

"What? Really? But they look... Average in that coat she wears..." Toshi mumbled to himself, picturing Hinata with her coat off.

"I knew you were a pervert" Naruto grinned as Toshi started to argue back "But yeah they are... Big. I've only seen her with her coat off once but I'll remember it always" Naruto blushed, looking down at the water.

"_Oh, a fan of big breasts eh?" _Toshi smirked mentally, but he simply nodded at Naruto in understanding.

"And the cons?" Toshi asked, eager to see what Naruto had for this list.

"Well... She's really shy, but she looks cute when she blushes so I guess that's not a bad thing...Hmm... I don't really know" Naruto blinked, furrowing his brow as looked at Toshi who was wearing a warm smile. He was about to ask him what he was smiling about, but Toshi placed his hand on Naruto's head, ruffling up his hair.

"Hey! Stop that!" Naruto yelled as Toshi laughed heartily, making Naruto laugh too.

Hinata sat submerged in the corner nervously as every female in the bath circled her. Most of the women were the same age, if not older than her. They smiled at her evilly, as if they were hatching some kind of evil plan; or maybe that was just Hinata's fear.

"So..." A blonde spoke out, breaking the silence "Which one of those hunks are you dating then?" She winked. Hinata blushed at the stranger's question, diverting her gaze to her chest which she had covered with both hands.

"Uhh.. N-No" Hinata mumbled, flinching as the women got closer to her so they could hear her quiet voice. The blonde woman's brow furrowed as she was about to speak, but a woman with short, curly black hair interrupted her.

"Really? Are they gay then?" She asked curiously, making all the girls giggle.

"_Fan girls..."_ Hinata thought to herself, rolling her eyes mentally as she shook her head to answer her question. She tutted and stepped back, crossing her arms to show she wasn't satisfied with the answer.

"Well you must at least _like _one of them" A ginger haired girl argued, adjusting her glasses that were steamed up. Hinata blushed even more and diverted her gaze, making the girls giggle even more.

"So you do like one of them! Who?" The blonde pried, leaning in closer the longer Hinata took to answer.

"Th-The blonde haired one" Hinata mumbled, edging away from the blonde haired woman. All the women cried out in adoration before they engulfed her in a group hug.

"That's so cute! Does he know? Have you asked him out yet? How long have you liked him for?" Were a few of the questions that Hinata could make out of the barrage of questions she was asked. Hinata pried herself from the group hug, swimming to the other side that was closest to the men's, followed by the rest of the women like a school of fish. She looked at the high fence as she thought about Naruto, wondering what he was doing now. When the women caught up to her, she turned around, determined to face the crowd that wouldn't leave her alone.

"If I tell you what I've done will you leave me alone?" Hinata bargained, continuing after every woman finished nodding obediently. She took a deep breath, blushing as she looked down again.

"I-I... Told him I loved him..." She mumbled as she started to sink, once again being surrounded by the crowd of women and their excited chatter.

After the crowd of women calmed down, they kept their word and separated into groups along the bath, whispering to each other and giggling. Hinata blushed as she stepped out of the bath and wrapped a towel around her. She looked back at the women who waved at her, and cried in unison

"Good luck!" Hinata blushed and rushed into the changing rooms, wondering if Naruto's bath had been as stressful as hers.

After their laughter, Toshi and Naruto retired from the bath and went into the changing rooms to get changed and dry off.

"Say, Toshi" Naruto asked after putting his jacket on without zipping it up. Toshi looked up attentively, hooking his coat over his shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"Is there anyone you like?" Naruto asked. He had only realised that they had only talked about his problems and none of Toshi's. Toshi's eyes narrowed as he diverted his gaze. Naruto was surprised at his reaction, but it only made him more curious, so he decided to press on.

"Well?" Naruto asked, crossing his arms. Toshi faced him and looked at him with a serious expression, making Naruto flinch a bit.

"Yes there is" Toshi replied, walking past Naruto "But I don't think you'd want to hear it" Naruto's brow furrowed as he started to follow Toshi.

"What? Why not?" Naruto started to worry. Maybe he liked Hinata. The thought sent a shiver down his spine; surely he wasn't scared of losing Hinata? Why would he be? He wasn't even sure if he liked her, but he felt that he'd feel safer if he asked just in case.

"Is it Hinata?" Naruto mumbled, looking Toshi dead in the eye. Toshi blinked, surprised that Naruto asked about Hinata first.

"N-No!" He answered hastily, waving his arms in front of him as he laughed nervously. Naruto felt a wave of relief wash over him as his expression softened and he smiled back at Toshi.

"_He definitely likes her"_ Toshi thought as the blonde scratched the back of his head and laughed in relief.

"So who is it then? What's her name?" Naruto grinned, breaking Toshi out of his train of thought.

"_Maybe he'll understand; he seems like the understanding type anyway"_ Toshi thought, sighing roughly as he tried to collect himself.

"Well... It's a... him" Toshi answered, watching Naruto carefully for his reaction. Naruto's brow furrowed, confused at his answer.

"Him? What do you mean?" Naruto asked, scratching his cheek. Toshi sighed and scratched the side of his head.

"_I know that Naruto's a bit clueless, but come on!" _Toshi thought, thinking of a way to explain it more clearly.

"I don't like a girl at the moment, I like a boy" Toshi explained casually. Naruto's eyes widened as if he had just been told the most shocking news ever. As Naruto took a step back, Toshi's eyes widened in fear.

"N-Naruto?" Toshi asked, reaching out hesitantly to him, but Naruto hit his hand away.

"Don't mess around with me! A guy? How can you like a guy?" Naruto yelled. Toshi's expression contorted as Naruto's disgusted expression brought back painful memories. His eyes started to burn and his hands curled into fists.

"_Not this again..." _Toshi thought, trying to forget the painful memories that flooded back into his mind. Naruto cautiously took another step back, about to continue his rant when Toshi grabbed him by the scruff and rammed him against a wall. Fear took a hold of Naruto as his head hit the wall, the pain surging through his skull.

"Why?" Toshi grunted, tears running down his cheeks. Naruto's eyes widened as he watched the Jounin cry in front of him; he didn't expect Toshi to act like this.

"No matter how powerful I become, if I mention that I have romantic feelings for someone of the same gender I get shunned? No one understands my pain; the pain of never being accepted! I thought you would understand Naruto, but it looks like I was mistaken..." Toshi sobbed as he dropped him, leaving the room hastily after collecting his coat and nodachi. Naruto fell to the floor and landed on his backside, eyes wide as the words that Toshi sobbed ran through his mind.

"_No one understands my pain; the pain of never being accepted!"_


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys, here's chapter 4 as promised! Enjoy!**

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><p>Toshi barged out of the room, tears running down his contorted expression. He rubbed his eyes as he tried to calm himself down, his eyes widened in shock when he heard a concerned voice call out to him.<p>

"T-Toshi?" Hinata called, reaching out her hand to him. Toshi had eye contact with her briefly to see who it was, then diverted his gaze, continuing to rub his already irritated eyes. Hinata flinched as Toshi looked away, but continued as she placed a hand on his shoulder, keeping it there until he calmed himself down and nodded at her, giving her a small, warm smile.

"What happened?" Hinata asked, keeping eye contact with him.

"I-It's nothing. Come on, let's go and have food. Naruto will catch up with us later" Toshi assured her, changing the subject. He walked past Hinata who frowned, deciding not to press the matter and to wait until he was ready to tell her.

Naruto stayed where he had fell in the changing rooms for a while, deep in contemplation over Toshi's words.

"_The pain of never being accepted? I know how he feels... But still! It's just wrong to like a guy!... Isn't it?" _Naruto thought as he slowly got up and rubbed his eyes. One part of him never wanted to go near the weirdo again, but another part of him kept telling him that he should be more understanding; Naruto was all too familiar with the pain Toshi was feeling him. For his whole childhood the villagers would hate him for reasons he didn't even know back then, no one accepted him, not until Iruka bought him that first bowl of ramen.

"_Maybe I should be more understanding..."_ Naruto thought to himself and he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, his expression regretful. He took a deep breath and exited the room, trying to think of how to apologise to Toshi.

He walked to the room where they were going to eat, taking a deep breath before he entered the room. When he swung the door open, he saw Toshi and Hinata sat across from each other at a table that was covered in plates of food. In any normal situation, Naruto would have dribbled, cheered and jumped at the table, consuming anything in sight. However, when he opened the door, the air suddenly became tense. Hinata looked toward Naruto, smiling as she blushed and diverted her gaze back to her food, whereas Toshi looked at Naruto for a brief second in the corner of his eye, returning his attention back to his food as if no one ever entered. Naruto gulped as he thought about who to sit next to. If he sat next to Toshi, it might get awkward, but if he sat next to Hinata, then... That would be awkward too. He mentally sighed in frustration; it felt like no matter where Naruto sat, it would be an awkward situation.

"Are you going to sit down or watch us each?" Toshi stated without looking at Naruto, as if he was addressing everyone in the room. He broke Naruto out of his train out thought, making him realise he was standing there and staring into space. Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, his chuckling more forced than anything. After yet another deep breath, he tensed himself in preparation and sat next to Toshi, making Toshi's eyes widen in surprise for a second before returning to a stoic expression.

"Itadakimasu" Naruto mumbled before taking food from several plates slowly and courteously. Hinata's eyebrows raised in surprised as she watched Naruto use manners for the first time since she had seen him eat. Usually he grabs anything he can, even leaning over the other food, but now he was picking food out cautiously; and even eating it at a moderate pace!

"_Something's wrong..."_ Hinata deduced as she looked from Naruto to Toshi. Toshi was eating his food normally, but it was as if he was eating as though no one was sitting next to him, like he was ignoring Naruto.

"_Did something happen between them?"_ Hinata thought as she sipped her tea.

"S-So how was y-your bath N-Naruto?" Hinata asked, uneasily breaking the silence. Naruto looked up from his food at her in disbelief. Did Hinata really just start a conversation? Even Toshi raised an eyebrow at her off behaviour.

"It was okay I guess" Naruto answered, returning to his food.

"O-Oh..." Hinata mumbled, sipping her tea again. The silence returned as if it had never left, bugging Hinata a bit; it was never silent if Naruto was around. She placed her tea cup down, stood up and bowed.

"I'm full now so I'm going to go to bed... Thank you for the meal" Hinata smiled, leaving the room. The ninja nodded and watched Hinata leave the room, hesitating to continue eating their food. The silence and tension in the air became unbearable as neither ninja wanted to break the 'silent oath' they seemed to have made. However, after a few moments of the silence the guilt became too much for Naruto as he sighed and turned to face Toshi.

"I-I'm sorry for acting the way I did, if anyone would understand your pain it'd be me. I know what it's like to not be accepted by anyone..." Naruto trailed off, looking at the floor as memories of bullying returned to him, trying to overwhelm him. A hand placed on his shoulder broke him out of his thoughts, making him look up at a smiling Toshi.

"Don't worry about it Naruto, I'm just glad you apologised." Toshi smiled, making the blonde ninja smile too.

"But what do you mean that you'd understand my pain? You don't like boys too do you?" He asked, blushing slightly. Naruto's eyes widened and he waved his arms in front of him defensively, chuckling sheepishly.

"No! I don't! He answered hastily, making Toshi laugh slightly, which was cut short as Naruto's expression became serious.

"You know that I'm the container for the nine tailed fox right?" Naruto asked, continuing as Toshi nodded.

"Well when I was a kid, the villagers and even my 'friends' would hate me for that, even though I didn't know I was at the time. No one ever truly accepted me, not until Iruka bought me my first bowl of ramen. He was the first person to accept me, my first true friend..." Naruto smiled, tears starting to well up as the memories returned to him. Toshi nodded as if in understanding, and then took a deep breath, diverting his gaze to the table.

"I first found out I liked boys too when I was 12. My best friend was my first crush, and when I confessed it to him he ran away, never speaking to me again. It broke my heart, and to make it worse, he told everyone else about it, and they too stopped talking to me; even avoiding me. When the chuunin exams came my team cooperated with me only because they had to, not even talking to me unless it was absolutely necessary. When I passed the chuunin exams, they told me that they would make me a jounin immediately, but I requested to join ANBU instead. Being hated by everyone made me really introverted, so ANBU seemed perfect. That was when I met him..." Toshi explained, wiping away more tears. Naruto listened in awe; he didn't think that he had it so rough. When Toshi didn't finish his sentence, Naruto remembered Toshi telling him that he liked a guy, but didn't say his name.

"Who?" Naruto asked curiously. Toshi looked hesitant again, but closed his eyes and sighed, as if admitting defeat.

"You know him; his name's Sai" Toshi muttered, looking at Naruto to gauge his reaction. Naruto eyes widened in shock briefly, but then his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Sai? Why Sai? He's an asshole!" Naruto complained, clenching his fist as he remembered how annoying Sai could be. Toshi's expression deadpanned as he punched Naruto in the shoulder playfully.

"He's actually nice, and don't call him an asshole, he talks about you a lot" Toshi defended him, making Naruto even more visibly confused.

"Huh? He talks about me? What does he say about me? And before you answer that, when does he even talk to you?" Naruto asked. Toshi opened his mouth as he started to reply, but yawned instead.

"It's getting late, so I'll tell you another time" Toshi grinned, amused as Naruto wore a displeased expression.

"Aww come on! It was just getting interesting!" Naruto complained, hanging his head. Toshi laughed and scratched his nose sheepishly, ruffling Naruto's hair as he stood up.

"Another time, I'm going to bed. Are you going to bed now?" Toshi asked.

"Na I'm not tired, I'll hang around for a bit. I'm not as old as you so I don't wear out as easily" Naruto grinned slyly, laughing as the colour from Toshi's expression faded.

"I-I'm... Old?" Toshi whimpered, dragging himself out of the room as he mumbled incoherently under his breath. When Naruto had finished laughing, he exited the room and walked out of the back exit, gazing up at the dark, starry sky. He found a spot to lie down on a small hill that was covered in grass. He sighed as he laid down, admiring the night sky that was littered with stars and a crescent moon. He let his thoughts run freely as he gazed at the sky, mainly of when he was younger and how the villagers treated him. When his mood started to drop, his mind ran through thoughts of how the villagers treated him now; with praise and gratitude, making him smile. Then, he began to think of Hinata.

"_She acted sort of weird earlier; maybe I should ask her what's up"_ Naruto thought. His memories then went back to the Pain battle, to when Hinata confessed her true feelings to him. He smiled as the memory made his stomach feel lighter and his heart pound faster.

"N-Naruto?" A soft voice came from above him, breaking him out of his trail of thought. Naruto sat up when he saw Hinata, blushing slightly.

"Oh! H-Hey Hinata" Naruto greeted, moving across slightly for Hinata to sit down, even though there was plenty of space. Hinata blushed and smiled as she sat down, supporting herself on her hands as she leaned back and stared at the sky. Naruto caught himself staring at Hinata, her hair gently dancing in the light breeze, her chest- Naruto blinked and diverted his gaze when he noticed he was staring at her chest that was sticking out even more since she was bending back.

"I-It's a nice night tonight..." Hinata mused. Naruto nodded half heartedly, his thoughts still on Hinata's chest.

"U-Uh, yeah. Beautiful..." Naruto replied, trailing off as he looked at her slender neck, her blushed cheeks, her pale lips... Hinata turned to look at Naruto, blushing as she caught him staring at her. The two blushed and diverted their gazes back to the sky.

"_Was he just looking at me? N-No, why would he... Wait! You're both alone! Ask him now!"_ Hinata thought, her heart beat racing. She gulped as she dared a glance at Naruto, returning her gaze when her eyes caught his.

"S-Say, Hinata..." Naruto mumbled, breaking the several minutes of silence. Hinata nodded nervously, silently encouraging herself to ask Naruto.

"Back when we were fighting Pain..." Naruto continued, his heart's speed now matching Hinata's.

"Uh-Huh..." Hinata managed to mumble, sitting up right.

"Umm... Well... About... Y'know..." Naruto mumbled, scratching his nose nervously.

"_Oh god, what do I do? What do I do?" _Hinata thought to herself, the heat in her face rising. Naruto fidgeted nervously, thinking about what to say next.

"W-Well... I... Like... You" Naruto confessed, looking at Hinata with his red face, wondering what she would do. Hinata blinked as the red in her face became deeper, thoughts rushing through her head as the beating of her heart became louder and faster.

"_Say something!" _Hinata screamed in her mind, trying to find her voice.

"Uhh-uhh... I-" Hinata mumbled before the world around her faded to black, her senses leaving her.

Her eye lids started to flicker open as her senses returned to her; warmth filled the left side of her body. She smiled as she inhaled the familiar scent of Naruto, happy that she was having one of these dreams again. She nuzzled into it contently as she opened her eyes fully, smiling as she looked up. Naruto was looking back down at her, blushing and blinking nervously, scratching his nose as he tried to speak.

"H-Hey Hinata... You fainted and-"Naruto started to explain, but stopped when Hinata shot up immediately, her cheeks becoming deep red again.

"I-I'm so sorry N-Naruto!" Hinata apologised, diverting her gaze as she mentally cursed at herself. Naruto scratched the back of his head as he laughed nervously.

"Don't worry about it, I'm sorry if it wasn't what you wanted me to say... I don't love you, but I really do like you! Maybe one day, I'll return your love equally" Naruto smiled, looking into Hinata's eyes. Hinata nodded in acknowledgement; she wasn't saddened by the fact that Naruto didn't love her; she didn't expect him to either. He didn't know enough about her to love her, and they hadn't even spent that much time together. But the fact that he liked her made her heart leap and her face fire up again.

"I-I'm glad y-you like m-me Naruto" Hinata smiled, using all of her strength to look into his crystal blue eyes. Naruto blushed slightly as Hinata's eyes met his and smiled back at her. Her eyes widened briefly as if in realisation and looked down at the floor. Furrowing his brow, Naruto looked down too too see what she was looking at, and blushed when he found it. His hand had instinctively moved on hers, and both of them intertwined. Hinata blushed and diverted her gaze, but her hand stayed where it was. Naruto blushed, but when he noticed that Hinata didn't move her hand, he didn't move his either. A tense silence remained over the two as they savoured each other's touch. After a few minutes though, Naruto's butt started to complain about the uncomfortable, hard ground. Not wanting to get up or move, Naruto tried ignoring the feeling, but just as it became almost unbearable he had an idea. He took a deep breath and looked at Hinata, who was looking up at the sky .

"_Now!" _Naruto thought as he fell onto his back, pulling Hinata's arm so she fell down with him. She let out a small squeal in surprise at the sudden movement, landing face first in Naruto's chest. She started to lift her head so that she could look at Naruto and ask him what the hell happened, but stopped when could smell Naruto's musk. He still smelt of the deodorant that Toshi sprayed him with, but the smell had started to wane, becoming overpowered by Naruto's usual scent. Hinata was brought out of her daze when she felt Naruto's hand run through her hair. Startled, she sat up and blushed heavily, looking down at Naruto's hand that was still in hers. Naruto's brow was raised in surprise as he was brought out of his star gazing, switching his gaze to Hinata as she mumbled incoherently.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked in a hushed tone, supporting himself on his arm as he sat up. Just as Hinata started to stutter in reply, Naruto smiled and pulled her down again, pulling her down with him. Once again she landed half on top of him, her head resting on his chest. This time, before getting lost in his scent again, she looked up at him, unsure of what he wanted to do. However, when she saw Naruto gaze up at the star filled sky, a content smile spread across his face. Hinata smiled as she felt Naruto's hand caress her hair again and rested her head back on his chest, listening to his calm heartbeat as she closed her eyes, losing herself in the tranquillity of the moment, hoping that it would last forever.

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><p><strong>N'aww Naruto and Hinata 3 I'm going to take things slow with this pair in this story, since I'm aiming for this to be a long one. But I know you won't mind because everyone likes fluff and innocent love that then turns to dirty and kinky love by the end :D (I'm joking... I'll save that for the other couples ;D) Reviews are appreciated :)<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys, sorry for the late update, the document uploader was being a bit off with me... Anyways, hope you enjoy the chapter! :D**

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><p>"<em>Kugo... Please wait!" Aiko exclaimed, her body freezing when his deep blue eyes felt as though they pierced her very soul. It turned her weak at the knees, and her voice felt as though it had left her body, but she gathered herself with every ounce of strength she could muster; now would be the time she would confess her love. <em>

"_I love Y-" Aiko started to shout, but was interrupted when a pair of lips were pressed against hers. Her eyes were wide as she saw the owner of the lips – Kugo. The warm feeling his lips gave hers started to spread through her whole body, her eyes closing as if giving in to the rising passion. Bu the moment was brief, and Aiko could soon feel Kugo's lips part from hers, the harsh, cold atmosphere reminding her of the absence of his touch. Not wanting the moment to end, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him back into the kiss, the warm feeling spreading throughout her body again as Kugo wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed her body against his. Suddenly, his tongue attacked her lips, forcing them to part and gaining entry into her mouth. Before she knew it, her own tongue was battling with his, a hint of aggression behind the passionate movements. _

_Kugo sensed that he was starting to win the fight of dominance; Aiko's fatigue showing as her tongue movements started to slow down. He mentally grinned at the thought of his imminent victory, no thoughts of mercy entering his mind, but his thoughts were soon replaced with confusion when he felt his world fall over and the weakening presence of Aiko's tongue fade. His eyes flashed open, blinking rapidly as he tried to assess his situation. Looking to his left, he could see that he was laying on the bed; he must had fallen over. As soon as he tried to get up, a weight pressed itself against his waist, making his eyes widen at the sudden pleasure as he looked at the cause of the new pressure. Aiko was sat on his waist, looking down at him seductively, making him freeze. His lips began to open for an explanation, but he was stopped when she pressed her finger against his lips and shook her head slightly, her other hand coming up to the neck of her shirt._

"_No words. Let's just make love" Aiko whispered, her hand expertly releasing her buttons one after another, as if teasing him. Kugo's laboured breathing proved that it was working, his body also unable to move as it watched the seductive lover sitting on top of him. When she had finally unbuttoned the shirt, she discarded it onto the floor delicately, exposing her naked flesh; she wasn't wearing a bra. Her perfect breasts became the centre of Kugo's attention, his hands unconsciously rising to get a feel of her perfect flesh, only to be batted away playfully and met with a playful giggle. Aiko leaned down so she was face to face with her lover, giving him a small kiss before turning her head and biting his ear playfully._

"_I'm all yours" Aiko whispered. Without delay, Kugo switched the positions, holding her arms down as he looked into her eyes, the lust in his mind making hundreds of thoughts for the next move. He was snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed Aiko giving him a warm smile, raising her head slightly so that she could press her lips against his, making his grip loosen on her arms. As soon as her arms were free, Kugo felt something wrap around his member, making him flinch in surprise. He opened his eyes and looked down to see Aiko's hand wrapped around his member, beginning to move in a stroking motion as soon as he discovered it. His breathing became more-_

"Oi Toshi!" A voice called out, making the Jounin jump up in surprise. He looked up from his Icha Icha novel to see Naruto looking at him with an irritated expression. Toshi's eyes blinked rapidly as he started to collect himself, trying to calm down as the vivid images of the steamy novel began to disappear from his mind.

"W-What Naruto?" Toshi asked with a slightly laboured tone; he guessed from the heat in his face that it was bright red, and his breathing had yet to return to normal. Naruto rolled his eyes as he straightened up before sitting down across from Toshi.

"On a good part of the novel then?" Naruto grinned, chuckling slightly as Toshi's eyes narrowed at him whilst he placed his bookmark on the current page before closing it and setting it down on the floor.

"I was actually" Toshi retorted, mentally sighing with relief as his breathing went back to normal and the heat in his face disappeared. Naruto snorted and crossed his arms before his eyes widened, as if he realised something. He looked Toshi in the eye, one eyebrow elevated higher than the other.

"Wait a minute... I thought you liked guys? Isn't that a straight novel?" Naruto asked, wondering if his old tutor was hiding a really big secret from him all along. But Naruto shook the thoughts from his mind; just thinking about Jiraiya having a relationship with a man sent a shiver down his spine.

"A person's sexuality doesn't dictate what books they read. A straight guy can read a yaoi novel and enjoy it; it doesn't make him gay. Besides, I like guys and girls." Toshi replied, chuckling sheepishly as Naruto's brow furrowed.

"I really don't get you Toshi!" Naruto complained, pouting when Toshi continued to chuckle.

"I guess you'll understand when you're older" Toshi laughed, stopping abruptly when he realised what he just said.

"_I sound so old..." _Toshi thought, beginning to curl up. Naruto noticed what the jounin had started to do, so he tried to think of something that would cheer him up.

"Aha!" Naruto thought aloud, making the jounin look up at him with a furrowed brow.

"'Aha' what?" Toshi asked, confused at the sudden outburst.

"I... Have something that I want to ask you..." Naruto began, blushing and diverting his gaze as he scratched his nose nervously. Toshi's eyes widened as his mind started to wonder what Naruto wanted to ask, the curiosity bringing him out of his momentary depression. He remained silent as he watched Naruto ponder and fidget, trying to think of how to word his question. After a few minutes of tense silence, Naruto finally managed to bring his gaze back up to Toshi's, his blush beginning to deepen.

"What do couples do?" Naruto asked, immediately diverting his gaze as the last word left his mouth. Toshi's brow just furrowed even deeper as he tried analysing the question Naruto just asked him. Unable to figure it out after a few minutes, Toshi gave up.

"What? I don't get you..." Toshi admitted, watching as Naruto began to fidget again.

"W-well y'know... With... and stuff..." Naruto mumbled. Toshi leaned in closer to hear Naruto properly, but frowned when he only managed to catch parts of it.

"With what?" Toshi asked, frustration flashing across Naruto's face before it blushed even deeper.

"K-k-k" Naruto stuttered, unable to say the full word. Toshi began to grow impatient and began to open his mouth to yell at Naruto to spit it out, but stopped when he realised what Naruto was trying to ask.

"Oooohhh" Toshi smiled slyly, making Naruto's eyes widen slightly before he looked up at Toshi, who was looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Kissing? So you finally got things going with Hinata?" Toshi asked as he winked at him, grinning proudly. Naruto blinked at him for a second, surprised at his reaction.

"What do you mean finally?" Naruto asked, diverting his gaze as to not look in Toshi's eyes. Toshi sighed and rubbed his nose, unable to believe Naruto's stupidity.

"You're kidding me, right? I've known you both for a day and even I can clearly see that you were dancing circles around each other" Toshi pointed out, making Naruto jump up as he waved his fist at him, clenching his teeth together.

"Hey! We haven't always been like that! Just since-" Naruto retaliated, but stopped when he started to remember back to the fight with Pain. He slowly lowered his fist and sat back down, surprising Toshi.

"... Ever since the fight with Pain. She confessed to me." Naruto finished, meeting Toshi's gaze. Toshi's eyes widened momentarily before they narrowed, looking away from Naruto. Naruto furrowed his brow at Toshi's reaction, his curiosity forcing him to question his reaction.

"What's wrong Toshi?" Naruto asked, beginning to reach his hand out to Toshi, but stopped when Toshi looked at him with a pained look.

"The Pain battle..." Toshi started, stopping to look at his hands in front of him. Naruto's eyes widened slightly as he withdrew his arm and paid full attention to Toshi, his curiosity higher than it had ever been.

"... Was when I died" Toshi finished, closing his eyes as he looked at the floor. Naruto's jaw slackened in disbelief; how could he have died in the battle and still be alive now? Naruto started to ask Toshi about it, but stopped when Toshi explained in a hoarse voice.

"I died in more ways than one that day. I was killed by one of the Pains whilst trying to defend some fleeing villagers and wounded ninja... The first thing I remember thinking was whether or not I bought them enough time, but the last thing I remember thinking about was Sai." Toshi explained, making Naruto's eyes widen slightly. A few moments of silence passed before Toshi continued; Naruto would have said something, but he couldn't find the right words.

"Then the next thing I remember is waking up in the makeshift hospital, being fussed over by some surgeons; apparently I was really messed up." Toshi explained, pausing to laugh slightly.

"When I woke up and looked at the surgeons, they all gave me confused looks. When I asked why it turned out I woke up in the middle of surgery" Toshi laughed, making Naruto furrow his brow. He couldn't help but feel that Toshi's reaction was misplaced.

"Apparently, the anaesthetic ran out and I woke up as if nothing was happening; luckily they were only stitching me up or there would've been real problems" Toshi explained sheepishly, rubbing his nose and chuckling. When he realised that Naruto was giving him a strange look, he furrowed his brow at the teen.

"What's up with you?" Toshi asked, blinking in surprise when Naruto let out a sigh of relief.

"You took sooooo long to tell that short story! You're just like an old man!" Naruto joked, causing the Jounin's jaw to slack and start resuming his foetal position, but stopped when Naruto waved his arms and apologized quickly.

"Anyway... They told me that everyone who had died in the Pain battle came back to life and that you were the cause of it. I had only knew that you were the kyuubi's container and nothing else, so when I heard that you saved everyone I wanted to meet you in person! It's one of the reasons I became a Jounin again" Toshi admitted, making Naruto blush slightly.

"I-I'm the reason you became a Jounin?" Naruto asked, looking at the Jounin awestruck. Toshi tilted his head and eyed the blonde for a moment before shaking his head.

"Not the only reason. The main reason was because of the promise I made to myself" Toshi smiled, continuing as Naruto raised his eyebrows for him to carry on.

"When I was brought back to life, I saw it as a second chance; a chance to change my life and who I had become, and to confess to the person who was the last thing in my mind. I used to be really introverted and unsociable, but now I like to think I'm more cheery and outward. Although, I'm still working on the confessing part..." Toshi blushed, rubbing his nose sheepishly. Naruto grinned as Toshi finished explaining, the shining in his eyes making the Jounin uneasy.

"How about I help you?" Naruto asked, giving him a thumbs up. Toshi's eyes widened in surprise; he hadn't expected Naruto to offer to help. He still found it weird that Naruto was so accepting, contrary to the general reaction, but since they understood what each other had been through it was natural for them to get along.

"Help? How?" Toshi asked, intrigued by the blonde's proposition but not too careful to get his hopes too high; this was Naruto after all.

"Well, you help me with Hinata, and I'll help you confess to Sai!" Naruto explained, grinning widely as the Jounin smiled and nodded in understanding.

"Hmm... Alright then! Sounds good!" Toshi smiled, offering out his fist. Naruto eyed the fist suspiciously, then looked at Toshi with a confused expression.

"What's this?" Naruto asked, poking his thumb. Toshi frowned slightly before he grinned widely and grabbed Naruto's hand, making it into a fist and pressing it against his.

"It's a new thing I'm starting. Whenever I make a promise with a friend, I've gotta fist bump on it to make it an official one!" Toshi explained in the same cheery attitude that Naruto usually showed. After a moment of thinking it out, Naruto grinned and pressed his fist slightly harder against Toshi's, earning another grin from the Jounin.

"Then it's a promise!" Naruto exclaimed, his grin matching Toshi's as the excitement of their new promise took over.

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><p><strong>Some character development here! Didn't really want to make it all about Toshi, so sorry if I did... We'll get to the NaruHina next chapter, and maybe some fight scenes too!<strong>

**I had fun writing the Icha Icha paradise extract; I wanted it to sound as cheesy or as dirty as possible in one sitting, hope it was! **

**Reviews are appreciated :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys, here's chapter 6 of The Arbitrator, enjoy!**

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><p>"Toshi!" Naruto called, only receiving a groan in reply as he nudged the jounin. It had been an hour since Naruto had woken up, and he had already gotten ready for breakfast; the only thing he needed to do now was to wake up his seemingly lazy team leader. Toshi buried his head deeper into the pillow, trying to ignore the stabbing feeling in his side that was being caused by the blonde ninja.<p>

"_If I was a morning person I'd be angry right now"_ Toshi thought to himself, his attempts at ignoring the stabbing feeling no longer working.

"Come on Toshi! We have to go get breakfast! Or aren't you hungry?" Naruto asked, rolling his eyes as he was answered by another groan, but this time from Toshi's stomach. Toshi groaned as he lifted his head slightly from his pillow so that he could face Naruto, moving his mouth as if saying something, but not letting out any inaudible sound. Naruto's brow furrowed as he watched the Jounin's mouth gape open and shut like a fish, but then leaned forward when he realised that he was trying to say something.

"...ffe" Toshi muttered, his attempts at speaking slowly becoming more audible, but nothing more than a whisper.

"Eh?" Naruto sounded, unable to decipher the Jounin's hushed words.

"Coffee" Toshi eventually muttered, clearing his throat as he sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, sighing when Naruto wore a puzzled look.

"Coffee? What about it? Do you want some?" Naruto asked, grinning when he received an eager nod from Toshi. Toshi scratched his bare chest and yawned as Naruto ran out of the room, presumably to look for coffee. Toshi scanned the near vicinity of his bed, stopping when he found his blue jounin under top crumpled up on the floor. Brushing it off as he picked it up, he swiftly put it on and brushed it again, looking up when Naruto entered the room. He smiled as Naruto handed him the coffee, but then frowned when Naruto wore a look of disgust on his face. He decided to inquire Naruto about his disgusted look, but decided that drinking his coffee came first. Downing the cup in one go, Naruto looked on in amazement as Toshi set the cup down.

"How the hell can you drink something that fast that tastes like crap?" Naruto exclaimed, pointing at the cup. Toshi laughed as he realised what the reason for Naruto's disgusted expression was and hummed a cheery tune as he stood up and resumed getting dressed as Naruto looked at him with a confused look.

"_He was so tired and moody a second ago! Could something that tastes so bad be so good?" _Naruto asked himself as he eyed the cup suspiciously, wondering if he should have one himself. His thoughts were distracted when he noticed Toshi's nodachi leaning against the wall next to the cup. He scanned the sword curiously, its black matte sheath dimly glowing in the sunlight. Naruto noted that the handle was about four hand widths, but apart from the length it looked like a normal katana handle. Naruto furrowed his brow as he tried to think of an explanation of how Toshi could wield such a big sword, but the only thing he could come up with was that it was extremely light. Now that his curiosity was piqued, he slowly reached out for the blade, but stopped when Toshi cleared his throat.

"I wouldn't bother if I were you" Toshi stated in a passive tone, seemingly paying more attention to the zipper that was stuck half way. Naruto quickly withdrew his hand and scratched his head as he laughed sheepishly.

"Sorry, I forgot to ask first... But how the hell do you use something like that?" Naruto exclaimed, no longer trying to hide the curiosity that was now bright as day on his face. Toshi grinned brightly as if Naruto had just asked the million ryo question.

"I'm not telling you off for touching it, I'm just saying that you won't be able to hold it; it's too heavy. As for the question, there's a reason I'm called Konoha's Blade" Toshi bragged, not paying attention to Naruto's scowl.

"Too heavy? If you can use it, then I can too!" Naruto argued, alerting Toshi.

"Naruto wait!" Toshi warned, but it was too late. Before Toshi could warn him, Naruto pulled on the nodachi, but to his surprise, it didn't budge and pulled down Naruto instead. Toshi winced as Naruto's face hit the floor, his instincts telling him to help the blonde, but instead he laughed. The blonde slowly got up as he rubbed his face, trying to scowl at the laughing Toshi.

"I did that on purpose! Now I'll really pick it up!" Naruto shouted, pulling with all his weight on the nodachi but unable to budge it. When his laughter had finally died down and he got fed up with watching the blonde comically try and pick up the nodachi, he strolled over to the blonde and placed his hand on his shoulder, signalling for him to move over when he caught his attention. Naruto reluctantly agreed and moved aside, watching the jounin with a focused stare. Toshi took a deep breath and dramatically gripped the nodachi with one hand and pretended to struggle to lift it up, making the vein on Naruto's forehead bulge.

"Stop messing around damn it!" Naruto shouted at the chuckling Toshi, his face red with anger. Toshi cleared his throat as he collected himself and looked at Naruto. Then, in one swift movement, picked up the nodachi with one hand and held it in front of him. Naruto's jaw almost hit the floor, his eyes wide in disbelief. Toshi chuckled as Naruto stuttered in disbelief, pointing at the blade that was being held in the Jounin's right hand.

"I-I-Impossible!" The blonde eventually managed to spurt "How the hell did you manage that?"

"Training" Toshi answered blatantly, his grin disappearing behind a serious expression as he set the blade down again. Naruto collected himself as he looked at the nodachi.

"_Training? How long must it have taken to hold a sword like that with one hand? Is he a genius or something?" _

"Breakfast?" Toshi asked, breaking Naruto out of his thoughts. Naruto's head snapped up as he saw Toshi standing at the door, looking at him expectantly.

"Oh, so now you're ready?" Naruto exclaimed, giving a sheepishly laughing Toshi an irritated look as he walked past.

Hinata was snapped out of her thoughts as she heard the familiar voice of Naruto ranting incomprehensibly. She looked at the door as she saw the silhouettes of the blonde and jounin behind the thin screens, eyes widening slightly as the door snapped open, revealing an irritated Toshi and Naruto. As they entered the room, Naruto opened his mouth to resume arguing but stopped when he eyed the Hyuuga, blushing the same shade as she had. Toshi smiled as the pain in his ear faded from Naruto's nagging, and without a word rushed to the seat across from Hinata, smiling warmly at her in greeting.

"Good morning Hinata! Did you sleep well last night? Hope we haven't kept you waiting long..." Toshi apologised, scratching his nose sheepishly. Hinata faced forward and smiled as she began to stutter. The truth was that she got barely any sleep last night, thanks to a certain blonde sticking in her head.

"I haven't been waiting long, and well thank you" Hinata lied, her eyes widening and blush deepening as she felt the blonde sit next to her.

"Less formalities! I'm starving, let's eat!" Naruto interrupted, digging into his first plate. Toshi grunted as he watched Hinata eat nervously next to her ravenous boyfriend. Toshi's brow furrowed as he thought about the pair; were they officially dating?

"So are you two dating now?" Toshi asked, making Naruto choke on his mouthful of food and Hinata's eyes widen in surprise. The pair slowly looked at each other, diverting their gazes as soon as their eyes met. Toshi stifled a laugh as his question was silently answered.

"_So they haven't talked about that yet?" _Toshi grinned evilly, slowly chewing a bread roll. The three ate in silence for the rest of the meal; Toshi giggled perversely to himself as he buried his face in his Icha Icha novel, the pair across from him slowly eating in silence whilst sneaking a glance at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking.

"_Are we a couple now? Damn, we didn't say anything about that last night..." _Naruto thought to himself, observing the Hyuuga in the corner of his eye. Hinata kept her head down as she ate slowly, confused thoughts running through her mind.

"_Dating? I don't know... I want to, but does Naruto want to? I should ask..."_ Hinata thought to herself, tilting her head slightly so that Naruto would enter her peripherals. She jumped slightly and blushed when her gaze met Naruto's, uncertainty and curiosity flashing across his eyes as they looked into her hope filled ones. Time felt like it had stopped as she lost herself in his eyes, unable to break the contact. It wasn't until she felt his warm, heavy breath that Hinata realised the pair had slowly closed the gap between them, their lips mere inches away from each other. She looked up from his lips to his eyes to see that realisation had just hit Naruto too, but to her relief he hadn't moved away, but closer. The tension became unbearable as Naruto felt her warm breath brush against his lips, the small distance between his lips and hers eventually becoming nonexistent. He finally closed the gap between them as he pushed his lips against hers, an indescribable feeling washing over him as the smooth, warm texture of Hinata's lips pressed against his. The hundreds of thoughts that ran through Hinata's mind were instantly wiped away when Naruto finally closed the distance between them, the feeling his lips gave her making it seem as though they were the only two people in the world. She wanted to cry in happiness, that the moment she had been wishing for almost all her life had finally happened, but all that she could do was concentrate on the kiss. If Pain were to come back to life this instant and destroy the room around them, she wouldn't care, even less notice. However, she was proved wrong when a thud echoed through the room, making Naruto break the kiss quickly, taking all of the warmth his kiss have her away. She frowned as she slowly opened her eyes and saw Naruto looking away with his eyes wide in shock.

"_Oh no, it was a mistake! I'm so sorry Naruto..." _Hinata thought to herself as she felt tears collecting in her eyes, thoughts of Naruto being cold with her forever haunting her mind. However, she was broken out of her thoughts when she heard stuttering, and found herself looking in the same direction that Naruto was. Her eyes widened as she realised why Naruto had broken the kiss, embarrassment washing over her as well as relief. The jounin that was sat across from them had dropped his book on the table which had caused the loud thud and was staring at them with a slack jaw and wide eyes. He started to stutter madly as he picked up his book and stood up, scratching his nose as he blushed and diverted his gaze.

"I guess that's a yes then..." Toshi managed to whisper sarcastically as he hurried out of the room, leaving the highly embarrassed couple alone. After a few awkward moments of silence, to Naruto's surprise, Hinata was the one to break the silence.

"U-Umm... I'm sorry N-Naruto..." Hinata apologized, looking down at the table as she nervously played with her fingers. Naruto furrowed his brow at her, since he had known her Hinata had always apologized, even for things that weren't her fault. It kind of irritated Naruto, but it also made him want to comfort her and tell her that it wasn't her fault. Before Naruto knew it, he closed the space between them and embraced her, pressing her head into his chest. Hinata's eyes widened in surprise at his sudden actions, her mouth opening to protest but stopping when the fast beating of Naruto's heart silenced her as she brought her arms around him to complete the embrace.

"Don't be" Naruto whispered, just loud enough for her to hear as he nuzzled into her hair, taking in the sweet scent. Naruto stopped when he heard Hinata giggling into his chest, loosening the embrace so he could look down at her.

"What's funny?" Naruto asked with a puzzled look. For a moment he thought that Hinata was laughing at him for being so cheesy, but then smiled when Hinata looked up at him with a warm smile, the smile that always comforted him.

"You smell of the deodorant still" Hinata chuckled, pressing her head against his chest again to smell him. Naruto blushed at the comment; whilst Toshi was still asleep, Naruto sneakily used some of his deodorant because he remembered Hinata complimenting him on it. Thankfully the jounin was too tired to notice, although he probably wouldn't be mad even if he did find out.

"Well I liked it so I thought I'd put on some more" Naruto lied, not wanting the Hyuuga to find out that he did it for her. Looking up to face him again, she smiled as she looked into his eyes, remembering their first kiss which had just happened moments ago.

"I like it too" Hinata admitted, closing the short distance between them, pressing her lips against his.

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><p><strong>Aww their first kiss... And in front of Toshi no less! XD<strong>

**I didn't want them to kiss until later on in the story, but it felt right. Plus, there's other things I can leave for later... ;D**


	7. Important! Please Read!

Hey everyone, **a ghost has appeared!**

_-Queue histerical laughter-_

In all seriousness, I know my stories are pretty much dead, including this one, but I haven't stopped thinking about them since I started writing them! Since I stopped updating the story I've been thinking on ways I can improve it and have been molding this into something I can be happy with.

So after finally getting some down time, I've decided to reboot this story! It'll include the same OC, just set in a different time! (Post war) It'll still have NaruHina goodness I promise!

The story will be called Monument, and I'll upload the first chapter today, so please look out for it and review it. I feel like I've gotten a bit rusty!

Thanks for your understanding!


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